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Pronunciation

How to pronounce “similar”

“similar” is pronounced /ˈsɪməlɚ/ (SI-muh-luh) in American English and /sɪmɪlə/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “sim”.
The sound

Say “similar” in 3 beats

Say it like this

similar

/ˈsɪməlɚ/

The voice you hear here is American; the British form is /sɪmɪlə/ (see the table below), and a British voice is available in the app's settings.

3 beats
  1. simsɪstress
  2. ilmə
  3. arlɚ
IPA (American)
/ˈsɪməlɚ/
IPA (British)
/sɪmɪlə/
Respelling
SI-muh-luh
Syllables
3 — SIM-il-ar
Stress
Stress the first syllable: SIM-il-ar. “sim” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.
Part of speech
adjective
Difficulty
Beginner — most learners get this on the first take
Accents

American and British are not the same here

American

/ˈsɪməlɚ/

British

/sɪmɪlə/

No audio here: sayit’s voice is American, so a British button would play the American word. Read the transcription instead.

Meaning

What “similar” means

  1. adjective

    marked by correspondence or resemblance

    “similar food at similar prices”

  2. adjective

    having the same or similar characteristics

    “all politicians are alike”

  3. adjective

    resembling or similar; having the same or some of the same characteristics; often used in combination

    “suits of like design”

Say it in a sentence

“The two recipes are similar, apart from the spice.”
Sound by sound

The sounds inside this word

5 sounds, in the order you say them
ssɪshort imməschwa×2ll

Each sound has its own page: where the tongue goes, what it is usually confused with, and words to drill it on.

Questions

“similar”, answered

How do you pronounce “similar”?

“similar” is pronounced /ˈsɪməlɚ/ (SI-muh-luh) in American English and /sɪmɪlə/ in British English — 3 syllables, stressed on “sim”. Build it as SIM-il-ar, then run the first syllable a little longer than the rest and let the others reduce.

How many syllables does “similar” have?

3: sim · il · ar. The beat lands on the first, “sim”.

Is “similar” said differently in British English?

Yes. American English says /ˈsɪməlɚ/ (SI-muh-luh); British English says /sɪmɪlə/. Both are correct — choose the accent you are learning and stay inside it.

What does “similar” mean?

As an adjective: marked by correspondence or resemblance For example: “similar food at similar prices” It carries 2 other senses as well — all of them said the same way.

Where is the stress in “similar”?

Stress the first syllable: SIM-il-ar. “sim” is longer, louder and a step higher; the other syllables fall away from it.

Practise this word

Now say “similar” and see every sound

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